


Luminous like the Stars

by Pawprinter



Series: To Infinity and Beyond [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Brother-Sister Relationships, Canon Compliant, Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Iron Dad, Iron Family, Parent Tony Stark, Peter is a Good Big Brother, Tony is Missed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 11:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18893512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pawprinter/pseuds/Pawprinter
Summary: When Pepper can't pick up Morgan during an emergency at school, Peter is called to help. While spending the afternoon together, she wants to know more about the father she lost too soon.





	Luminous like the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for "Avengers: Endgame" are below. Please read at your own risk!
> 
> This fic only contains FAMILY relationships between Tony, Peter, Morgan, and Pepper. I love one (1) Iron Family.
> 
> Enjoy!

Peter getting a phone call from Pepper wasn’t out of the ordinary. What _was_ out of the ordinary was _when_ she was calling. She _knew_ he was in class.

 _Something was wrong._ As soon as he got into the hallway, he answered his phone.

“Peter?” she asked, her voice holding a tremble he hadn’t heard before.

“Mrs. Stark. Hi.” Peter pressed his phone tighter to his ear and cupped his hand around his mouth, trying to muffle his voice. “Is everything okay?”

She blew out a long breath. “I hope so.” He waited for her to continue. “It’s Morgan.”

Peter’s heart froze in his chest. He straightened up, suddenly his senses on high alert.

 _Morgan._ Tony and Pepper’s daughter, now five-years-old. He’d grown close to her over the last year and considered her part of his family. She grew up hearing bedtime stories of him and she always considered him her brother. It didn’t take too long for him to consider her a sister.

 _She was in trouble?_ His heart was racing in his chest at the prospect of her being in danger. His mind was already whirling, trying to figure out which Spidey suit he’d pick, depending on the situation.

“What?” His voice had turned more strained than Pepper’s was. “What’s wrong? What happened?” He was moving towards the closest exit now, school long forgotten.

“I got a call from her school,” she said.

Before she could finish her sentence, he spoke. “Is she hurt? Do you need-”

“She’s fine,” Pepper promised. With those words, relief washed over Peter. He let out a tiny sigh, but kept walking. There still must’ve been a reason she was calling him in a clear panic. Something was still wrong. “I have to ask a favour of you.”

“Of course. Anything.” He would do anything for the Starks without hesitation.

“I’m stuck in meetings until after six, and she needs someone to come pick her up from the principal’s office.”

Peter froze mid-step. _Principal’s office?_ “Wait, what?”

She let out a long sigh. He could already envision her rubbing her eyes tiredly – a habit she must’ve picked up from Tony over the last few years.

“I got a call from her teacher. She claims Morgan was being disruptive during class, and then _fought_ a kid during recess.”

Peter froze, his hand grasping the door handle. “ _What!?_ ” His throat was so tight that it was nearly impossible to get the words out. That didn’t sound like Morgan at all.

Morgan was getting into fights with other children? She was sweeter than honey, and she never wanted to hurt another living thing. Just last week, while Peter was babysitting her, she made him promise not to hurt the bugs that found their way into her room. Even when she was terrified of something, like she was then, she didn’t want to bring it harm.

Almost just as strange was the fact she was disrupting class. Morgan was just like her father; brilliant, curious, and always seeking knowledge. She loved school and she loved class. Even though elementary school didn’t give out marks, she would’ve been a straight A student if they did.

“I know,” Pepper echoed, sounding exhausted. “I- I tried to get out of the meetings, but with the anniversary coming up-” She choked on her words.

A chill ran down his spine by thinking of the anniversary of the battle. He couldn’t imagine having to deal with meetings about celebrating that day _all day,_ like Pepper had to.

She tried again. “They need someone on her emergency forms to pick her up, which means me, you, or Happy. I would ask Happy, but…” Peter didn’t have to check his calendar to know that today was one of Happy’s days off – something he deserved more than anyone.

“No, it’s okay,” Peter promised, pushing out of the school. He winced as the light hit his eyes. “I’ll swing by and pick her up. Not a big deal.”

“I hate doing this to you,” she said after a beat of silence. “I-”

“Mrs. Stark,” he spoke, his voice stronger than before. “I don’t mind. Really.” Even though they were merely speaking by phone, he had no doubt in his mind that she could hear the smile in his voice. “Besides, what’s family for?”

Which is how Peter found himself swinging across town, his Spider-Man mask pulled down over his face. 

 _He couldn’t stop worrying about Morgan._ Even though he knew she wasn’t in life-threatening danger like he originally thought, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

She was a sweet kid. She always thought of others, she was selfless without a fault, she had a brilliant sense of humor that could light of any room. Her getting into fights and her disrupting class _wasn’t like her._ He would know. He’d seen her every week for the last year.

For several months after Thanos was defeated, him and Pepper would call or text almost daily. They made a habit of meeting up at least once a week, although it turned out to be more than that most of the time. Peter would blame this on Morgan; he wanted to spend time with her to make up for the last five years.

 _And_ because they both missed Tony in similar ways. They both looked up to him as a mentor, and as a father-figure. Or, in her case, _a father._

_She was too young to lose a parent._

Peter remembered how hard it was to lose his when he was her age. He’d do anything to help out, including visiting her more often than he washed his socks.

(He was working on that last part.)

In a way, Pepper and Morgan became his family.

Now, a year after they won ( ~~a year after they lost so much~~ ), things hadn’t changed much. He called and texted Pepper less often, but he made up for it by visiting more and more. If the snap taught humanity one thing, it was not to waste time, and not to take any moment for granted.

It was strange, in a way. He never really was close to Pepper; it was always Tony. He always liked Pepper, but their interactions used to be limited to greetings in the hallway.

While they were never close before Thanos, they both tried to change that now. They lost Tony – one of the most important person in their lives – and they needed each other, especially in those first few months.

After meeting Morgan, she invited him over for babysitting and family dinners. He didn’t know when, but soon after, Pepper invited him to work in Tony’s old lab.

 _That_ was an emotional day – the first time he stepped into Tony’s lab without him there. It was colder and emptier, somehow. He missed the blasting music, and the chaotic environment, and the lame jokes.

It was hard being in there alone. It made things seem finite and _real,_ and he never felt more alone.

Which was why Morgan joined him often.

While it wasn’t the same, it was nice having the little Stark sitting on the desk beside him. The music wasn’t from Tony’s library (well, he really doubted _Baby Shark_ was on his playlist), but it was nice. With Morgan, things weren’t as dark or as lonely.

In a way, it was like having Tony with him. She had his humor, and his brilliance, and his heart. She brought the same warmth to a room.

And, with Pepper, it was nice having her around. At first, it was strange when she’d bring up something about him that only Tony knew – like how he fell flat on his face during a mission, or how he once accidentally webbed his hand to his face for two hours – but it just reminded Peter that the world kept turning while he was gone.

 _He missed five years._ During those five years, people moved on. People mourned. People never thought the world would be where it was now, with the vanished returned. _They grieved those people._

Including him.

Hearing Pepper talk about those things reminded Peter that Tony mourned him. He talked about him to Pepper like he was never coming back. He told Morgan all about him – he raised her on bedtime stories about him.

It was strange to think about – that, for five years, he was dead. People mourned, funerals were held, his things were moved into storage. People moved on, started new families, lived in a different world.

After a year of living in this new world, Peter was well adjusted. He loved the newest Stark from the moment he met her, even if he might’ve been overwhelmed beyond belief that she existed. He enjoyed having new classmates alongside old ones. He accepted that some people that he used to be close to – like some neighbours – passed away, or moved away, or changed during those five years.

At first, it was hard. Both him and May relied heavily on Pepper and Happy to help them navigate in the new world. What was the newest technology, who were the new artists, what were the new health developments – Pepper knew it all.

And, most of all, they all relied on each other to heal after losing Tony.

It was just as Pepper promised at Tony’s funeral. Sure, it was hard, and it hurt, but _they did it._ They were all okay. They had each other to help get through it.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Peter seen Morgan’s school. He dropped into the nearest back alley and took off his mask. He was nervous. This was a big responsibility and he didn’t want to mess up.

He had a good sense of Pepper’s wishes though. After spending countless hours talking to her over the last year, he thought he knew her pretty well.

He babysat Morgan enough times to know what she was allowed to do. He knew what Pepper expected from her daughter in terms of behaviour. Pleases and thank yous, and all that.

Still, he didn’t want to mess this up. What if Pepper didn’t agree with what he said? What if he said something completely stupid?

 _You’re just picking her up,_ he reminded himself. _Pull it together._

As soon as his suit was safely tucked away and he looked semi-presentable, Peter ran the rest of the way to her school.

It turned out that he didn’t have a reason to be worried. The office staff wasn’t too impressed when he showed up, not Pepper, and they said they’d call her the next day. He didn’t argue with this – it was probably best that she dealt with the situation.

The only thing that couldn’t wait for Pepper to deal with tomorrow was Morgan.

As soon as he walked into the principal’s office, Morgan was hopping out of her chair and _racing_ towards him. She moved quick, but he could see the tears building in her eyes.

“Peter!” she croaked, rocking forward to his leg. Her tiny arms wound around him, pulling herself as close to his leg as possible. He stumbled backwards from the momentum.

“Morgan,” he said, placing his hands on her shoulders to steady her. “Hey. It’s okay.” He bent down so her was at her level. He examined her face. While she wasn’t crying, he could tell that she was about to any second. She was a brave girl, and, somehow, that made his heart hurt even more. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head. “Okay. Good. That’s good.”

Knowing the young girl thrived on affection, he swooped her up and placed her on his hip. He’d seen enough pictures and holograms to know that Tony often carried her around like that, even days before his death. In a way, it made him feel closer to his pseudo-sister and his father figure.

“Mommy?” Morgan’s eyes were welling up and her voice was almost lost in her throat. Peter shifted his grip on her so he could grab her pink and glittery backpack on the ground.

“She’s at the office.” He managed to fit it onto his back. Her nose was buried into his shoulder. “We’re going to go home though. She’ll be back soon.”

Her tiny fingers dug painfully into Peter’s neck. He had to suppress a wince. “I don’t wanna.”

He tried to pull away from her so he could see her face, but she clung to him. “What do you mean? We won’t have to walk – there’s a driver-”

When Morgan pulled away, she looked as miserable as a five-year-old could. Her chin was wavering and her eyes were brimmed with tears. “I don’t want to go back home.”

“I- Uh. What?” He glanced around the empty room and shifted the backpack around. “You don’t want to go home?”

“Can we go to _your_ home?” she pleaded. “It’s closer.”

This was strange. Everything about this situation was wrong; she was fighting at recess, she was disrupting class, she was sent to the principal’s office, she didn’t want to go home.

Peter didn’t need Spidey-senses to know something was wrong. He knew it, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Please?” she added after a long moment.

He didn’t hesitate with his answer. “Of course.” For the first time since walking in the office, she looked relieved. His heart broke. He recognized a piece of himself on her, in that moment; something was eating away at her – something that someone her age shouldn’t have to deal with.

With the plan set in place, Peter walked out of the room. He signed a form, stating he was taking her out of school early, he adjusted the straps on the tiny pink backpack around his arms, and he hoisted Morgan into a slightly different position on his hip, freeing one of his hands.

He needed to text Pepper.

As he jogged down the steps of the school, he typed.

_Got Morg._

Not a second past before the ellipsis appeared, signalling she was typing.

_Thank you, Peter._

_How is she?_

_Is she okay?_

_Upset._

_Oh no._

_Crying?_

_Yeah._

He added an emoji with a sad expression to convey the emotions his words couldn’t in that moment.

_~~I’m worried about her. Crying.~~ _

He stopped himself before he could send that message. He really didn’t want to worry Pepper, especially when she was stuck in tough meetings for the next few hours and couldn’t handle this herself. He knew she would just torture herself for the next hours if he did.

He deleted it and tried again.

_We’re headed back to my house._

_Her request._

_Strange._

_Ditto._

_I’m gonna walk with her, if that’s okay?_

_Get some ice cream on the way home._

_Might cheer her up._

Even when the ellipsis popped up, he continued typing his next message. _I know she fought a kid and disrupted class, and I shouldn’t be rewarding that behaviour, but_ -

Pepper’s text shocked him.

_Good idea._

He deleted his half-drafted message quickly. It seemed like they were on the same page, which made him feel better about everything. She must’ve sensed something was wrong too, which wasn’t surprising.

_Do you mind trying to figure out what  
is wrong? I’m worried about her._

_She’s too much like her father. She  
doesn’t like worrying me._

Peter’s heart gave a painful tug at that. Although the wounds of losing Tony weren’t as fresh as they once were, they were still there.

_Ofc._

_I’ll keep you posted._

_Have a good meeting._

_Ha._

_Thanks._

With a plan forming in his mind, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and turned his attention to the young Stark. She had her head rested against his shoulder and was completely silent.

“How about we do something fun while we’re out?” Peter suggested, deciding to jump right in. “It’s nice out. We can walk to my house. That’ll be nice, huh?”

She shrugged. “Kay.”

He was out of his depth here. Usually she was so bubby and filled with joy. Being around her reminded him of standing under the sun.

“If you want, we can get ice cream on the way there?”

 _That_ made her perk up a bit, which sent relief coursing through him. At least he wasn’t failing completely.

“Ice cream?”

“Yeah. Just the two of us. No Happy, no May, no mom.”

At first, it was weird to refer to Pepper as mom, but he grew to accept that as his new reality while around Morgan. Ned assured him that this was the case around _all_ kids. Suddenly, you were referring to yourself as uncle, and your parents are grandparents, and your brother as dad. Or, at least, that’s what he claimed happened to him when his brother had a baby.

“Just us?” she pressed, lifting her head up slightly. “Me and you?”

“You and me,” he agreed. “It’s going to be so much fun. I get to spend all afternoon with _you_ , my favourite person _ever._ ”

The elicited a giggle from her. “That’s funny,” she said. “You’re _my_ favourite person.”

“Is that the case?” he poked her in the side, causing her to squirm. “Better keep this a secret between you and me. I don’t think Happy would be too happy to hear this.”

She leaned closer to his ear and cupped her hands around her lips. “Happy isn’t Spider-Man,” she whispered, her voice still loud. Peter snorted. “You climb walls and _fly_ when you want to. You win.”

“It’s true. Did you also know I can lift an elephant?”

She pulled away, her eyes wide. “ _What?!_ A _whole_ elephant?”

“Yup.”

“A baby?”

“No, a full sized one.” She looked so shocked that it was difficult to suppress a laugh.

“You’re super strong?” Peter nodded. “Stronger than Uncle Clint?”

“Yup.”

“Stronger than Uncle Thor?”

This was starting to get questionable, but he continued joking around with her anyways. “Yup.”

“Stronger than Uncle Bruce?”

Peter laughed. “No way. He’d win.” He could see the corner shop already, where they’d be stopping for ice cream.

It was nice to see Morgan smiling and joking already. He hated seeing her upset. He hated feeling so useless when he couldn’t do anything about it either. All he wanted was to see the kid happy and at peace and safe.

Tony sacrificed everything for that. He’d be dammed if he didn’t do everything in his power to continue to do the same.

When they stopped at the corner store, Morgan wiggled her way onto her own two feet. For a moment, she seemed to forget her troubles – whatever troubles a five-year-old could have. Her eyes sparkled with the same joy Tony got when he figured out a particularly complicated problem. Her smile had the same radiance that Pepper’s did when she closed a deal.

She truly was her parents’ daughter.

Once Morgan had her ice cream and Peter paid, she reached for his hand and, without hesitating, he took it.

A year ago, he never would have imagined that _this_ would be his life. He never would have guessed that he would be picking up a kid from school and taking her to get ice cream. He never would have guessed that he would be doing things without thinking about it – like taking her hand when crossing the street, or making sure to grab extra napkins to wipe her hands after, or knowing all the lyrics to _Baby Shark._

A year ago, he never would have guessed that Mr. Stark would have a five-year-old daughter. He never would’ve guessed that he’d love her like he had loved nobody else. He never would have thought that he’d be spending his final few years of high school doing homework and babysitting at the same time, and working in Tony’s lab with her at his side, and playing tea parties.

It was a beautiful life that he got to live in. While it wasn’t what he expected, he was happy. Morgan was a huge part of that happiness. Even though Tony was gone, she was here. She was here, and she was bright, and she had more joy in her heart than he could imagine.

 _Morgan H. Stark._ She was family in everything but blood.

“So, I was thinking that we could just chill?” Peter glanced down at her, gauging her reaction. “Finish our ice cream. Hang out – just the two of us. _Then_ we could head back to my home and wait until your mom’s done work?”

“Okay.” She didn’t seem particularly bothered by anything Peter said so far. She was quickly devouring the vanilla cone in her hand, which he was thankful for. The faster she ate, the less of a mess she’d have on her hands.

They made their way over to a single bench on the side of the road. The street was empty and silent, which Peter wasn’t exactly used to. That was one thing that took a while to get used to over the last year; the differences in the world after five years. Even with all the people returned safely, New York wasn’t what it once was.

Morgan’s sullen attitude returned from earlier as they sat. Even though she was quickly eating her cone, he could tell she wasn’t as bubbly as she was only minutes before. She was sad. Something was weighing heavily on her.

Peter glanced towards the sky, begging for _something_ to fall from it to help him. (Like a red suit made of iron.) He didn’t even know how to broach the subject. He didn’t want to upset her, but if he _didn’t_ mention it, it was teaching her that running from problems was okay.

No. He’d have to face this head on.

He glanced down at her. Thankfully, she was just taking the final bite of her ice cream. _Perfect time to approach._ “Do you want to talk about your day?”

Peter hoped this was going to be a subtle approach, but she was too smart for that. As soon as the words left his mouth, her gaze flicked to his and her chin lifted strongly. She looked defiant.

When she didn’t speak, he continued. “I… I _think_ maybe you had a bad day?” he prompted. “I know it helps me to talk about things.” She didn’t respond, so he kept talking. “And it’s just us. Me and you. You can tell me what happened, and we can figure out a solution.”

“Really?” she prompted, her eyes big and watery.

Peter had to fight to keep his voice strong and even. “Really, squirt. We can work it out together – here and now.” She looked a little unsure. “We can get ice cream later, if you want?”

She narrowed her eyes. “That’s extortion.”

He smirked. “You got me there.”

“Okay,” she agreed after a moment. “I’ll tell you, but more ice cream later.”

“Deal.” She lightened up at that. “What’s on your mind?”

“The Day of Return.” Her saying those words sent a jolt to Peter’s heart. All the light seemed to fade in that moment, turning his gut to stone.

 _The Day of Return._ For most of the world, this was a day of celebration. Enemies were defeated, the vanished returned, families were reunited. For most of the world, this day was the brightest day of the year.

 _Most of the world._ Peter, Morgan, and Pepper didn’t fall into this category. While most families were reunited, their family was fractured. While most of the dead came back to life, they lost someone.

_Tony._

It was the day Tony died.

Peter felt cold thinking of it. It had been a year, but he could still see that moment – the moment where Tony snapped and _everything changed._ It was horrifying and terrifying, and often plagued his nightmares.

He didn’t just lose his mentor that day; Morgan lost her father, Pepper lost her husband, the world lost a hero.

“The Day of Return,” Peter echoed, not able to do much else. He swallowed thickly. “That’s coming up soon, huh?”

Morgan nodded and shifted closer to his side. “Mhmm. We’re learning about it at school.”

 _Ah._ Things suddenly clicked together for Peter. If they were learning about the Day of Return in school, that meant Morgan was having to learn about the event that killed her father. Of course she was acting out, and of course she was having a hard time. He’d be having a hard time too, if he was in her position.

She continued talking. “Daddy was in the video Mr. Alberforth showed us.” When she looked up at him, her lips was wobbling. “As Iron Man.”

“Right. Dad.” Peter wrapped his arm around Morgan’s shoulders.

He was struggling to figure out how he was going to deal with this situation. He talked to Morgan about Tony before, but this was different. They were talking about him being _gone_ and she was clearly upset. He didn’t want to screw this up.

“I bet that made you feel really sad,” he guessed. She nodded. “I know you miss him. I miss him too.”

She leaned into his side. “It made me feel happy, too,” she said after a moment. “They said he saved the world.”

Peter was familiar with this feeling. _Pride._ He was proud to have known and looked up to Tony. He was remarkable and he did remarkable things. He was proud of him and what he did, even if it hurt him.

“Yeah. He did. He was pretty awesome.”

She glanced up at him, her eyes already red-rimmed. With a shaking voice, she spoke. “So he _was_ the hero?” As soon as she got the words out, she began sobbing.

Peter froze at that. _What?_

“What do you mean?” he asked. He shifted so he could face her easily, but always kept a hand on her shoulder for comfort. She clung to his side like her life depended on it. “Of course he was the hero.”

Morgan’s fingers dug into his hand. Peter pulled the small girl onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her shaking form. He didn’t know what else to do in that moment. Whenever Morgan would have a particularly bad day, Pepper, Happy, or Rhodey would be right there to help.

He was out of his depth and sinking fast.

“Hey,” he cooed, brushing some of her hair from her face. “We agreed we’d solve this together. Knowing how smart _you_ are, you don’t need my help, but… let’s pretend? Okay? Let’s pretend you need my help to make me feel important.”

She continued sobbing.

 _Right._ Okay. Flattery wasn’t going to get them anywhere. Noted.

“It’s okay. I’m right here.” Her arms tightened around him. Peter looked to the sky and swore silently. It was unfair she had to experience this much pain so young. It was unfair that all she had in that moment was _him._

_I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. I don’t know what to do._

He swallowed thickly and turned back to Morgan. He knew her. He knew this kid in his lap. He knew that she loved to build LEGO, and she loved to fix things when they were broken, and she loved making new things with him in the lab.

She was a fixer. She always looked for a solution, even when others gave up hope. She was optimistic and bright.

_He had to fix this._

“Why do you think he wasn’t a hero?” he pressed, hoping he was going in the right direction. “Did someone tell you that?”

“Yes. During recess,” she sobbed, pulling away from him the tiniest bit. At least this explained why she was fighting kids during recess. “Robbie said that Iron Man wasn’t a hero.” She glanced at him, looking completely miserable. Her bottom lip trembled. “Mommy _always_ taught me daddy was a hero. That he saved people. That he protected the Earth.” She sniffed loudly. “But… but she lied? She… He…” Morgan rocked forward and continued to sob.

_Oh. Oh, no._

He knew how cruel the public could be. Maybe he didn’t understand everything about children, but he understood how kids formed opinions. More often than not, kids repeated whatever a parent said. And, out of anyone, he understood how bullies worked.

While it was soul crushing that there was someone out there that didn’t believe that Tony was a hero, that wasn’t the pressing issue. The most important thing in that moment was the sobbing child in his arms.

“He… He said that he didn’t do anything. That he failed. That he was a cheater.” She sucked in a shaking breath. “ _I’m scared._ I… I don’t-”

“No, Morgan,” Peter said, his voice calmer than he felt. He was seeing red, he was so angry. Who would think about Iron Man like that? More importantly, who would tell his _daughter_ this? “Robbie was wrong. Your dad _did_ do everything he could. He didn’t fail – he won. He won for all of us.”

Her chin trembled. “How do you know?”

“I was there, Morgan.” It felt like ice fingers were wrapped around his heart with these words. “I was with dad during _everything._ That day…” _The day he died._ “I was there. I seen him. He saved everyone.”

Peter didn’t like to remember that moment too often. He didn’t like to remember how shallow Tony’s breathing got, or how desperate his eyes were, or how scared he looked. _That moment still haunted his nightmares._

He tried to ignore the pain in his heart when he remembered his expression – the one filled love and relief – when he first reunited with him on the battlefield, or when he remembered that hug – their final hug.

 _But it was true._ He was there. He watched it all. He watched Tony be a hero – he had watched that for most of his life.

“Really?” Morgan asked, her chin still wavering.

Peter brushed a piece of her brown hair behind her ear and smiled. “Really. He’s a hero. He’s _always_ been a hero. He saved so many people. Not just here on Earth either, but _everywhere_ across the universe.” Peter’s smile came easier the more he spoke. “Some called him Earth’s greatest defender. Others called him a hero. A superhero. A protector. An avenger.”

“What did you call him?”

Peter smirked sadly. “I wished I called him more than what I did,” he admitted. “I wish I would’ve called him dad.”

“But you didn’t?”

“No. I didn’t.” He swallowed thickly. It seemed that the more he spoke, the calmer Morgan got. “Did you know that I met your dad when I was a kid? I was your size – maybe a bit bigger. _He was a hero then, too._ He saved a bunch of people that day. He saved _me_.”

Her eyes sparkled. “How?”

It was so many years ago, but it was one of his crispest memories. It was back when he was young – back when he was just playing dress up, dreaming of becoming something more than he was.

“I was in danger, and he came to protect me. He stood behind me and fought for my safety. He didn’t know me then. He just seen someone in need of help and he gave it.” She was listening so intently that it made his heart warm. “ _That’s_ how you truly tell someone’s character; you see how they act to people they don’t know. Dad did everything he could to take care of people he didn’t know – even people that didn’t _like_ him. He fought for everyone, he fought to keep them safe.”

He remembered he was talking to a five-year-old. Even though she was a genius like her father, he had doubts of how much she understood. He tried again. “Your dad was a hero, Morgan. He was a good person.”

Her eyes were still wet. “Then why did Robbie say that? Why would he lie?”

Peter blew out a long breath. Even though Morgan wasn’t outright sobbing anymore, he knew what he said was important. Whatever came out of his mouth next would be heavily weighed by her young mind.

“Sometimes people don’t understand. It’s stinky, but… that’s how it goes.” Her nose scrunched up and she tilted her head to the side. It was eerie how much she looked like Tony in that moment. “You have to know it in your heart.”

“My heart?”

“Yeah, you know. The truth. You have to know the truth in your heart.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. He really wasn’t explaining things well. “Sometimes, people won’t agree with what you think. That doesn’t always mean you’re wrong. You have to _feel_ the truth, and you have to hold it in your heart.” He could see she was still confused. “Like this, Morg. You know how strong and brave your dad was. You know that in your heart. It doesn’t really matter what other’s think, because you knew him, and you know the truth.”

“Oh.” She rested her cheek against his side. “I think I understand.”

And, for now, that was the best Peter could hope for. She was young and growing. She had years ahead of her to figure this out, and she had dozens of people at her side to help her.

_She’d be okay._

“Peter?” she asked, pulling away slightly.

He locked eyes with her. “Huh?”

“Thank you. I’m glad my daddy had you.” Peter’s eyes burned with unshed tears. “You’re my best friend.”

Warmth flooded his chest. His throat felt tight. “And you’re my best friend, Morgan. I love you to the moon and back.”

Her head came to rest on his shoulder again. Her tiny fingers found a thread on his shirt. Then, with a tiny voice, she spoke. “I love you 1000.”

 _He knew._ He knew what this meant. Those numbers – the numbers she’d add at the end of her sentences – they were something she did with Tony.

_But this – this was the first time she did it with him._

He’d seen her do this with Pepper, and he’d heard Tony do it in his hologram messages to her, but this was the first time she quantified her love for him like this.

Peter felt so moved that he could feel tears gathering in his eyes. His heart thumped painfully against his ribcage. There was something about her speaking these words that was so special that it felt like his heart was constricting.

He barely managed to speak. “I love you, too, squirt. I love you 1000.”

After a long moment passed, she lifted her head up and looked at him. She was completely oblivious to the amount of brotherly affection running through Peter, just as she was oblivious to how much her words impacted him.

Her smile was wide. “Ice cream?” Peter could only laugh.

“You’re right, we had a deal. Let’s go.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated.
> 
>  
> 
> [Find me on Tumblr!](https://pawprinterfanfic.tumblr.com/)


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